The interactions between soil microbes and microbial feeding nematodes correlate with fruit productivity of Illicium verum Hook

摘要

Soil biodiversity regulates ecosystem structure and functioning through changing biomass, activity, community composition and interactions among soil biota. This study aimed to explore the relationships between soil food webs, soil properties and fruit productivity in plantations of Chinese star anise (Illicium verum Hook). We anticipated that this comparison would allow us to identify key indicators of soil ecosystem associated with fruit yield. We found that soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), bacterial abundance (B) and fungal abundance (F) derived from phospholipid fatty acid profiling, bacteriovores abundance (Ba), fungivores abundance (Fu) and F/B ratio were resilient to fruit productivity. By contrast, MBC: MBN ratio, total nematode abundance, F/Fu and the correlation between F/B, Fu/Ba and Fu/(Ba+Fu) were responsive to fruit productivity. In conclusion, MBC: MBN and trophic linkages in the detritus food web are important determinants of ecosystem functioning at local scale. Very small change in community composition or interactions among components within soil food webs could disturb some ecosystem processes and ultimately affect plant's productivity. Therefore, we can enhance ecosystem functioning using management practice which is conducive to restore the community composition of soil biota and interactions among components within soil food webs to those of adjacent healthy natural ecosystem.